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Exxon MObama

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Much was made here about John McCain and his funds from the oil industry.  But lo and behold, who is Exxon Mobil’s(and BP’s, and Chevron’s) favorite candidate?  Drum-roll please, Barack Obama.

The Democratic National Committee may be trying to get some mileage out of recent news about oil industry contributions to Republican Sen. John McCain, launching a web site spoofing the idea of McCain sharing his presidential ticket with Exxon. But they may have found an unwelcome surprise in a just-released analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Turns out, the biggest recipient of contributions from Exxon executives and employees during this campaign is not McCain. It’s Obama.

The non-partisan center writes: “Through June, Exxon employees have given Obama $42,100 to McCain’s $35,166. Chevron favors Obama $35,157 to $28,500, and Obama edges out McCain with BP $16,046 vs. $11,500.

Yub Barack Obama, tool of the oil companies.  Damn things those facts.

Oh and before you get all huffy about the Amtrak guy and his wife, it seems that the McCain campaign is doing a prett good job of self policing.

Can we cue up the next manufactured controversy please?  

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Comments

  1. McCain leads the money race with nearly every other top giver in the oil and gas industry, though…overall, McCain’s campaign has gotten three times more money from the industry than Obama’s has — $1.3 million compared to about $394,000.

    • Facts are irrelevant – it’s all about the smear.  While you’re busy sputtering, EaBo will be looking for the next lie talking point.

  3. Yup, John McCain, THREE TIMES the tool of the oil companies.  Damn things those facts.

    <

    p>I’d love to see the breakout between “executives” and “employees”.

  4. Let’s see…..

    <

    p>But lo and behold, who is Exxon Mobil’s(and BP’s, and Chevron’s) the oil and gas industry’s favorite candidate?  Drum-roll please, Barack Obama John McCain.

    <

    p>

    $1.3 million to McCain

    about $394,000 to Obama

    <

    p>Bears repeating, tblade, so I’m just emphasizing what you posted.

    <

    p>Diarist should consider taking this silly thing down.  He clearly didn’t read the entire article.  lol.  

      • But isn’t the real question how that money influences their positions?  If Obama’s going to take a position that is contrary to some donors that’s courage.  I was actually just on Obama’s FAQ page on his website and there was a question about whether a registered lobbyist who happens to support him can give of his personal funds (not exceeding the $2300 limit of course).  The answer apparently is that the campaign will not accept a donation from such a person.  I don’t agree with that position.  If the lobbyist is an American citizen he should have just as much right as anyone to contribute.  I’m not a big fan of the holier-than-thou attitude some candidates take saying they won’t take PAC money, for example, which was actually intended as an instrument for reform.

      • …but not nearly as big a tool as John McCain. In fact, McCain is three times* the tool and receives his donations at extremely coincidental times from highly suspect sources. So far, no reports of convinient timing or secretaries giving big. So far.

        <

        p>Come back with Obama shady dealings a la Exxon peeps driving ’93 Chevy Cavaliers and giving Obama $61K. I’m confident that suspicious dealings are out there for Obama, and since the McCain story broke, I’ve been waiting for the Obama shoe to drop. Go, do some real leg work and dig up some real dirt on Obama!

        <

        p>—-
        *I know Reality Based beat me to it, but the “your guy is 1/3 the tool my guy is, therefor this whole controversy is negated” attack is some weak-ass ish. EaBo, this past month you’ve seem to have lost any game that you had. I’ve said it before, it’s like you’ve stopped caring and aren’t even trying anymore. Some of us are worried about you – is everything OK?

        <

        p>**Your link about “self policing” leads to the same WaPo blog – it remains unclear what you meant by that remark.  

          • …is doing the right thing before one gets caught. This is not self-policing as much is it is doing what had to be done; McCain could ill afford not to give that money back.  

      • If you were interested in

        <

        p>

        just pointing out that both candidates are getting oil money

        <

        p>then you wouldn’t have posited the suggestive question

        <

        p>

        lo and behold, who is Exxon Mobil’s(and BP’s, and Chevron’s) favorite candidate?

        <

        p>because the answer to that question is clearly Senator John McCain, not Exxon MObama.

        <

        p>We can all read, you know.  

  5. Tough to draw a conclusion based on source of contributions by industry:

    <

    p>Who’s the candidate darling of Accountants?  McCain., you know, but they’re really boring.

    <

    p>Of Gun Rights groups? McCain, a desperate bunch of rednecks clinging to guns and religion.

    <

    p>Of Health Care Professionals? McCain., pawns of big Pharma which is, of course, evil.

    <

    p>Of Pharmacuticals? They support McCain, but as mentioned are evil personified, who actually attempt to profit by making drugs.  Imagine.

    <

    p>Of Oil and Gas? McCain.  Need I explain.

    <

    p>Lawyers? Obama, defending truth, justice and the american way

    <

    p>Hollywood? Obama, because nothing says leadership like Susan Serandon.

    • McCain has The Governator, Jon Voight (the actor), Wilford Brimley, Fred Thompson, Magnum PI, Chuck Norris,Kelsey Grammer and Dick Van Patten!

      <

      p>That’s right: I said Wilford F’n Brimley!

  6. The commenters have done a fine job making mincemeat of your original point.  I leave it to you to consider taking this post down; I will not do it for you.

    • Let me just ask a hypo… what if EaBo was right and BO was getting more oil money than JM? Would it matter to this crowd?

      <

      p>My criticism of this post EaBo is it would have gone nowhere either way. Here is a sample of what you would have heard…

      <

      p>

      If Obama’s going to take a position that is contrary to some donors that’s courage.

      <

      p>We would have been right back in the “JM is flip-flopping and BO is shifting his position and making intelligent changes in his strategy” kind of argument which has no conclusion.

      • First, EaBo steadfastly claims that he didn’t get any facts wrong:

        <

        p>

        Diarist should consider taking this silly thing down.  He clearly didn’t read the entire article.  lol.  

        It’s never too late to take a stand after it’s too late.  ~~Stephen Colbert
        by: lightiris @ Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 09:11:14 AM EDT
        [ Reply | ]

        No I read the whole article (0.00 / 0)

        I’m just pointing out that both candidates are getting oil money.
        by: EaBoClipper @ Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 09:28:08 AM EDT

        <

        p>Also note EaBo’s after-the-fact attempt to redefine the purpose of his post: “I’m just pointing out that both candidates are getting oil money.”  But that’s absurd, as others have noted: his original post says

        <

        p>

        But lo and behold, who is Exxon Mobil’s(and BP’s, and Chevron’s) favorite candidate?  Drum-roll please, Barack Obama….

        Yub [sic] Barack Obama, tool of the oil companies.  Damn things those facts.

        <

        p>EaBo was hoping that no one would check up on him, and he got caught.  

        <

        p>I reiterate my suggestion to him that he take this embarrassing post down before his reputation here suffers any further damage.

        • Obama got more money from Chevron, Exxon Mobil, and BP than did McCain.  that is all I said.  you guys sure get huffy when the truth comes out about your annointed one don’t you?  Wow.  

          <

          p>Obama, McCain both get money from big oil.  that’s all I pointed out. I used the tool line to show how ludicrous your sides attacks have been. It was tounge in cheek

          • Get caught in a lie bit of misleading rhetoric, and then declare it “tounge [sic] in cheek” when commenters embarrass you into acknowledging your error.  Well, A for effort, I guess!

                • …or, more accurately, Talking Points Cookies.

                  <

                  p>“Always remember: the wise man drills for oil on Florida’s continental shelf; the fool checks his car’s tire pressure. Your lucky numbers are 3, 14, 27 and 32.”

          • Keep digging EaBo. 😉

            <

            p>Better just to admit the post was misleading, correct it to read that McCain is sucking at the teat of Big Oil much harder than Obama (as evidenced by his recent flip flops in favor of the industry), and move on. It’s pretty obvious anyway.

            <

            p>This is the kind of thing that makes one despair for the Massachusetts Republican Party.

            <

            p>If only the Fox propaganda channel had comments from BMG streaming in their ticker. Then we’d be getting someplace. As it is, all we can hope for is to help Mr. Clipper.

            • My point and it still stands is that y’all are hypocritical.  Obama beats on Exxon Mobil, but he gets the most money from them.  I was completely factual and honest.  That you don’t like the message doesn’t change it.  

              <

              p>I need no digging as I haven’t changed my tune.  

              • You say Obama gets more money from ExxonMobil, but also beats on them.  Doesn’t that mean he’s not afraid to bite the hand that feeds him if that’s what he believes is right?  I also don’t buy your protests that you never said the oil industry gave more money to Obama, just specific companies.  Maybe you never literally say it, but I have a hard time believing you would have posted this if you were not trying to imply that Obama is just as bad if not worse in this regard.

        • EaBo says:

          <

          p>Exxon Mobil, BP and Chevron received more from Obama than McCain.  

          <

          p>Fancy that, I’m quite surprised that Obama is, by inference, more beholden to EXXON, BP and CHEVRON than McCain is.

          <

          p>AHA!  The article ACTUALLY says:

          <

          p>Exxon Mobil, BP and Chevron received more from Obama than McCain.

          <

          p>You deserve the wrath of the Fact Harpies, you lying scoundrel. You neglected to quantify the contributions by party affiliation from all other oil companies as well as related oil service industries, and retail outlets and any PAC each company might contol.  Not to mention said contribution from collateral industries such as plastics and metal fabricating, all essential to oil service and the PACs they control.

          <

          p>Then if that’s not deceptive enough you fail to cross reference said data with intext footnotes crosslinked to the appropriate website.  

          <

          p>And, what! No spellcheck! Everyone knows its ExxonMobile, and not Exxon Mobile. That alone negates your entire point.

        • I just stopped by BMG to skim the headlines and saw the title of this ridiculous diary and went, What?  Then I read the comments.  LOL.  I’m glad to see everyone was on board to set the record straight, so to speak.  

      • Even though EaBo got his facts wrong, let me see if I can draw you away from his factual inaccuracy and bait you, instead, with an alternative scenario in which he is correct, just for the sake of argument.   That way, I can hijack reframe the discussion into something I like better because I like the way EaBo thinks, in general, and this is sort of embarrassing….

        • According to your data, HE WAS WRONG. My point was advice to him that it doesn’t matter here because when you are loyal to someone the facts don’t matter. As I said, BO has changed his tune on many issues over the last 6 months, issues which people on this blog felt strongly about. But, when he changes his stance we don’t hear condemnation, we hear …shifts, adjusts, truly intelligent men will always rethink their positions, blah blah blah.

          <

          p>My advice to EaBo is get your facts straight (i know I have had my ass handed to me here) first and then realize this is BMG (with the B standing for BLUE) so don’t be surprised if a post is met with vim and vigor when BMGers defend your guy/position. And also realize that dissenters are in the minority here so be ready to fight many people who can be researching facts and replying.

          <

          p>Turning people around on this site should not be a goal of the “right”, it won’t happen. Open, honest and sometimes guttural dialogue does manage to bring true feelings and positions to the surface, and that is constructive IMO.

          • See my response to david.  The three companies I mentioned DID give more money to Obama.  I never said the industry.  They implied it. Facts are stubborn things aren’t they?

            • I think you accurately stated the facts. I am sorry for saying you were wrong and mistakenly believed at face value all your detractors words. I will have to agree with some of them though in saying this is a little misleading. You may have wrote it differently…

              <

              p>”While McCain is leading in fund raising from oil companies in total, some oil companies including Exxon… are giving more to…NObama”…

              <

              p>Don’t give up.

  7. …but Eabo has shown his hand as a card carrying member of McCain’s army of bloggers who are too lazy to post their own opinions!  His original post is quite similar to this post from McCain’s official blogger, Michael Goldfarb:

    <

    p>http://www.johnmccain.com/mcca…

    <

    p>I’d quote it, but it’s even briefer than Eabo’s post so I’m afraid I’d violate copyright by doing so.

    <

    p>I guess when the McCain campaign asked this question of its supporters:

    <

    p>

    Do you find blogging your own opinions tedious?

    <

    p>…we all know how Eabo answered!  How many points did you get for this one, Eabo?  Have you got enough for a toaster yet?

      • I saw Eabo’s thread before I left for work this morning – then I saw a takedown of Goldfarb’s piece at DU while at work, and of course I saw the similarity right away.  But I don’t write blog posts when I’m on the job, I just read them if I have time – all day, I’ve been itching to get home and get this one into the mix!

    • Yup, I couldn’t have come up with that news story all by my lonesome.  It wasn’t on the Washington Post.  I don’t get points and for the record I think the McCain Blogger POints program is absolutely and utterly stupid.  

      • I’m talking about the dishonest framing, and the remarkable similarity between your dishonest frame and Goldfarb’s dishonest frame.  You’re bagged, Eabo – I hope the toaster was worth it!

        • You guys get in a huff about McCain taking oil money. I show you Obama takes oil money to show how absurd you are.  You get mad.  No dishonest frame here.  but hey whatever floats your boat.  I guess no two conservatives can think alike.  

          • A lie of ommission is still a lie, as you well know.  And thinking alike?  Lying alike would be much more correct…

            • you thought I omitted something. My point was only that Barack Obama received more money than the three companies I mentioned It wasn’t who took the most money from energy companies.  You guys made that my point.  It wasn’t mine.  I linked to an article that had that McCain took more money.  

              • That’s the Eabo way.

                <

                p>Here are some 100% factual statements. Do they sound honest and not deceitful?

                <

                p>John McCain wasn’t even born in America!
                John McCain lived for 5 years in Communist Vietnam absent from his military duties.
                John McCain is not the biological father of daughter Bridget and son Mickey!
                John McCain calls Asian people “Gooks”!
                John McCain crashed and destroyed 5 airplanes as a navy pilot.

                <

                p>If your point really was “only that Barack Obama received more money than the three companies I mentioned”, then you would have said so more explicitly and not framed it as if Barack received more money from oil companies than McCain.  

              • You said:

                <

                p>

                Yub Barack Obama, tool of the oil companies.  Damn things those facts.

                <

                p>The problem is that you selectively chose your facts and then painted with far too broad a brush.  You tried to prove that Obama was a “tool of the oil companies” by selectively pointing to three companies where he had $19,000 more in donations than McCain, while omitting the fact that McCain has a $900,000 edge in that category among all oil companies.  That’s not me or anyone else “thinking you omitted something” – that’s you, omitting something.  If your point was that he got more money from those three specific companies, why did you use the generic term “tool of the oil companies”?  Because you’re a liar, that’s why.

                <

                p>My point has always been the dishonest frame used by both you and John McCain’s official blogger, Michael Goldfarb.  That wasn’t a coincidence – you got your talking points from the campaign and hussled over here to post it.  Now you’re caught, and you’ve been exposed as a McCain sock puppet – you might as well sign up and get the points, if it’s true that, as you say, you’re not already participating in that program…

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